Varia is produced by 3form, a great company to look into for many of your green interior design needs. They produce a wide range of materials and for each of those materials, such as Varia, the application potential is practically endless. If you can dream it, you can probably make it happen with one of their products. Varia, or Ecoresin as it’s also called, is made of 40% post-industrial re-grind content and is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified, making it a good option for LEED credits. This is the most diverse product in terms of color, pattern, texture, and application options that I have found on the green market.

There are, by the way, over 210 color, pattern, and texture options. On top of that, there are additional finish options such as patent or patina. Patterns include jacquard prints and hand-dyed capiz shells and glass suspended between layers of Ecoresin. My favorite is the Organics collection with options that include bamboo patterns, leaves, grass and even rocks, some of which actually contain those materials with the layers. Varia also comes in a variety of thicknesses which allows it to be even more versatile. Possible uses for this material include backsplashes, countertops, wall coverings, flooring, cabinet doors, ceiling panels, door panels, and canopies.

This is MOMO, a prefab concept designed by Thomas Lind. The word MOMO comes from the truncation of Modernistiskt Modulhuskoncept, which is Swedish for modern modular house concept. MOMO homes are put together using 107 sf modules that aren’t particularly made with any special green elements other than to be built with high quality, healthy materials. That said, the concept also calls for a living roof with a blend of native water-storing succulents and grasses. The large, wind-sail looking outdoor roof blurs the boundary between interior and exterior with shade and a congregational patio — and if you’re in the right climate, it’d be quite nice to chill in and out of the home. Modules price in at roughly $25,000 each, and the first MOMO summer houses will be built in Sweden in mid-2008. So, the final product won’t necessarily be huge, but it’s certain to be sufficient.

I received an email from a reader recently about the progress of 300 North LaSalle, which is a 60-story office tower under construction at the northwest corner of North LaSalle Street and the Chicago River in Chicago. It received LEED-CS Gold pre-certification and should be ready for occupation near January 2009. Back in 2005, developer Hines signed Kirkland & Ellis to occupy a mind-numbing 24 floors. (too many lawyers in Chicago?) The rest of the building, comprising about 400,000 sf will be available for lease. And unlike many of the wicked shapes we see in some green buildings, the pragmatic, modern 25,000 rsf floor plates are good for tenants that like to use what they’re paying for. The building was designed by Pickard Chilton, an architectural firm that is becoming increasingly known for their green office and professional buildings. I’ve included some interesting background and images/renderings below.

It’s pretty unbelievable to see all these cool houses at Solar Decathlon. I mean, why can’t all houses look like this? Late yesterday, it was announced that the Technische Universität Darmstadt team from Germany took first prize. Congratulations! Word on the street is that this house was consistently swarmed with visitors the entire week. Rightfully so, too.

You’ve probably heard that Fast Company wrote a recent article about some of the potential problems with the LEED system. Well, Bob Langert, Vice President of CSR at McDonald’s, just wrote a small response to Fast Company Magazine in an article titled “LEED = Progress for the Environment.” Starting with the quote, “Perfection is the enemy of good,” Langert continued: